Prince William rushes to make it back for Kate's birthday

PRINCE William made a run for it and just caught the train to get home in time for his wife Kate's birthday celebrations tonight.

Prince William runs to catch the train to get home for his wife's birthday celebrations [GEOFF ROBINSON]

The Duke of Cambridge, dressed in baseball cap, white trainers and carrying a rucksack, was spotted running for the train in Cambridge shortly before 5pm.

William, who was studying at St John's College, Cambridge, for much of the day as part of his 10-week bespoke course in agricultural management, was back by early evening at Kensington Palace, where his wife spent most of her 32nd birthday ensconced behind the security perimeter with their five-month-old son George.

Sources close to the couple declined to say exactly how they were marking the birthday tonight but it was thought to be a family meal.

William was returning to celebrate his wife Kate's 32nd birthday [GEOFF ROBINSON]

William was spotted running for the train get home in time for Kate's birthday celebrations

Across Britain, Government buildings flew the Union Flag in honour of Kate's birthday and in London, the bells of Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate were married in April 2011, rang out in celebration.

The Duchess plans to spend the next few weeks focusing on looking after George but is expected to make a handful of public appearances while her husband is completing his £15,000 course, organised by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, at the city's prestigious university.

His outfit of black jacket, beige trouser, black baseball cap and white trainers was in stark contrast to the suit and tie he wore on his first day in Cambridge on Tuesday.

Across Britain, Government buildings flew the Union Flag in honour of Kate's birthday [PA]

William, who left operational duties in the RAF in September, is on what Kensington Palace officials have called a transitional year.

The RAF published figures today showing that his former search and rescue team was the busiest helicopter unit in Britain last year.

His team, C Flight in 22 Squadron at RAF Valley on Anglesey, was scrambled 323 times and rescued 298 people during 2013. It accounted for more than a quarter of the 1,202 emergency alerts from 10 bases across Britain last year.